On

Lawyers defending suspects accused of assaulting head of the Judges Club Ahmed al-Zend have staged a sit-in inside the South Cairo Court on Saturday, in protest at the judge’s refusal of their requests to summon defense witness as well as several reporters.

The team, including prominent Islamist lawyers Mamdouh Ismail and Mohamed Mansour and former MP Ahmed Saif al-Islam, demanded that Judge Mohamed al-Shahed being recused from the case on account of bias. They called on the justice minister to appoint another judge.

Meanwhile, dozens of the suspects’ families and other protesters gathered inside the court, chanting slogans and raising banners against Zend.

Tight security measures were taken inside and outside the court by central security troops as well as military police.

Palestinian Abdel Rahman Eissa, 28, Khaled Abdel Rahman, 23, and business student Mahmoud Metwally, along with others, allegedly attacked Zend while waiting outside the club and chanting against judges, according to investigations. The defendants face charges of illegal assembly, possession of firearms and assault.